Walmart Stabbing Suspect to Plead Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Bradford Gille, the suspect in a mass stabbing attack at the Traverse City Walmart last July, is planning to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, according to Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg.

Moeggenberg issued a statement Friday noting that a preliminary examination in the case is scheduled for Tuesday. "The People have been informed that the defendant will waive that hearing, meaning he agrees that there is probable cause to believe he committed the crimes," she wrote. "The defendant then intends to enter a plea of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI)."

According to Moeggenberg, an "NGRI plea is different from a standard not-guilty plea. By entering an NGRI plea, the defendant is asserting that, because of mental illness at the time of the alleged offense, he was legally incapable of understanding the nature and quality of his conduct."

Once an NGRI plea is accepted by the court, Gille will be sent to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry for at least 60 days. "After 60 days, a petition will be completed for continued mental health treatment," Moeggenberg wrote.

It's very rare for individuals to be released after the 60-day window. Most individuals remain hospitalized and are not released until it can be proven they are no longer a danger due to mental illness.